National Institute of Sports and Tourism hosted ceremonial conference dedicated to qualification round of International Rally Amul Hazar 2018 where President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov encouraged our country’s team.The Head of the State also took part in the race, having demonstrated outstanding result.
The competitions took place afterwards, which defined Turkmenistan teams for the participation in coming rally.It was informed that our country would be represented by the teams from the Motorsports Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Motorsports Federation.
Together with representatives of this organization, the members of the Government of the country, personnel of the departments responsible for organization and preparation of rally Amul Hazar 2018 as well as mass media, wide sport community, political scientists, directors of universities, lecturers and students took part in current conference.
The conference was opened with the award ceremony of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, four-time Champion of Turkmenistan, for outstanding success and achievements in the motorsport and big contribution to the development of Turkmen sports in general.
Among the awards, the Head of the State received the certificate of the Master of Sports of Turkmenistan from “Sport Ulag” Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federation of Motorsports for skilful driving of sport car and high results on the competitions held under International rally Amul Hazar 2018 on May 12.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was also awarded with the Winning Cup for the skills in motorsport, experience and commitment.Another certificate that was awarded to the Head of Turkmenistan gives the right to participate in International rally Amul Hazar 2018 for masterly driving of sport vehicle and high result at the competitions on May 12.
All these awards were sent to the address of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, owing to whose selfless activity the prestige of the country in international sport arena is constantly growing.
As a gift to the Museum, Turkmen leader handed over racing helmet that he wore driving the vehicle during the races of qualification round of International rally.It will be placed in new building of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.
After, the video about great role of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in the development of Turkmen sports, the motorsports especially, as well as the footages where the Head of the State demonstrates high skills of driving sport car was shown to the participants.
Preparation of the rally that is widely expanded these days is carried out together with famous specialists of this profile, companies that recommended themselves by the participation in similar events.
One of the objectives of coming competitions is to show new image of Turkmenistan as the country with historical, cultural and spiritual heritage, which is carefully protected and passed from generation to generation, unique nature and colossal economic potential.
The territory of Turkmenistan was the crossroad of important trade routes from ancient times.Today, favourable geographic location became another important resource of its development and it is not occasionally that 2018 is held in the country under slogan “Turkmenistan is the Heart of the Great Silk Road”.
Our state and its capital white marble Ashgabat, changed significantly for the last 10 years.Big work was carried out for this period that brought the country to advanced positions in many main factors of the growth.
Rich natural resources and considerable transport and transit potential are in the list of competitive advantages of Turkmen state.Wise use of these resources and potentials gave opportunity to the country to make valuable package for stable development of national economy.
Ashgabat, which became the place of prestigious international festivals, art, scientific and economic forumssport competitions gathering representative of foreign countries in Turkmen land, turns into big peace-making centre.
Not only the capital but also all velayats have modern stadiums, equestrian complexes and sport schools.The Olympic village that has no analogues in Central Asia was built in Ashgabat.
All conditions were made for training of our sportsmen for participation in different games and sport competition.Turkmenistan, having sport infrastructure meeting high international standards, has extensive experience in organization of big international competitions.
V Asian Indoor and Martial Games, which were held with the great success in Ashgabat in September last year, are bright evidence of this.The country is proving itself as sport power that is able to host large-scale competitions.
Great attention is paid to the development of cycling and motorsports.It became a good tradition to hold mass cycling rides every year.By the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the United Nations General Assembly announced June 3 as the World Cycling Day. 56 countries of the world were the co-authors of this decision, which improves the international authority of our independent state.
This year is also full of sport events in Turkmensitan.It includes International rally Amul Hazar 2018 on September 9 14, cycling race and track and field race along the route that was called the Great Silk Road by the initiative of the Head of the State.
Amul was important destination of this ancient route from where the caravans used to go to Caspian Sea.After, the road went to three directions.The first one run along the coast to the south to Iran and farther to the countries of Near and Middle East.
The second route went along the coast to the north to Russia and neighbouring states.The third one run across Caspian Sea to Caucasus and farther to Europe and Asia Minor.
Therefore, it was Amul that was chosen as starting point of coming races.In the beginning of the year, it hosted ceremonial opening of mass sport competitions united by common name of the Great Silk Road.
Being supporter of sports and healthy life style, Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov personally gave start to the competitions, having run the initial stage of track and field relay races.
Cycling races were held at the same time that gathered around 1,5 thousand cyclists and motorsport competitions.Before the races, the Head of the State tried the route on sport car that was presented to him by the famous in the past French racer Jean Louis Schlesser who is the General Director of famous rally Africa Eco Race.
The Head of the State always personally demonstrates the effect of physical training and sports on physical and spiritual improvement of people being the model for national sportsmen.Participation of the President of Turkmenistan in qualification leg of Amul Hazar 2018 rally was encouraging for young sportsmen as well.
The head of the State showed the best result of covering difficult part of the track in Karakum Desert among the racers.It was also informed about the work carried out by Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs for organization of the rally during the conference.
On September 1, 2013, opening of the Centre of Motorsports was held with the participation of the Head of the State.The centre held the first Turkmenistan Championship on this sport.
The importance of opening of new facility of sport infrastructure of the capital, which is to make good conditions for training and improvement of skills of Turkmen racers, was highlighted by personal participation of the Head of the State in the first competitions driving racing Alfa Romeo.
All Turkmenistan citizens remembered triumphing moments of outstanding victories of the President who participated several times in sport car races.Equipment and facilities base of national motor transport is steadily improved, new high-speed cars are bought what in its turn attracts the youth to this sport and support the improvement of the skills of pilots and coaches.
At the same time these are good prepositions for establishment of international centre where motor races would be able to take place.It is planned to have several stages in coming races.
It will include the parts of the Karakums in different paces of the country with the finishing line at the Caspian coast in azure white-marble Avaza.The participants of the rally will be able to see with their own eyes natural beauty of Turkmenistan, its landscape and to touch the ethnographic originality of national culture and feel the wind of new dynamic time.
The Great Silk Road project was conceived by Turkmen leader not only as big cycle of sport competitions but also as original review of the achievements of our country in unbreakable connection of its past, present and future.
Organization of International Rally from Amul to Hazar is a symbol of active promotion of transport initiatives and projects of Turkmenistan, which have regional and global significance and aimed at the convergence of the countries and nations, expansion of trade, economic and humanitarian relations and common progress.
There is experience of organization of similar competitions in the history of our country.International rally Silk Road initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took place in 2009.It was supported by the leaders of neighbouring states Russia and Kazakhstan.
The length of the rally across three countries was 4500 kilometres.Masters of motorsports from almost 30 countries of the world took part in it.More than half of the distance of the rally run across Turkmenistan.
After that, the Silk Road rally confidently entered international racing calendar and new Amul Hazar 2018 race is already placed in the schedules of international races.The presentation of this project is to be held in few days in Moscow.
In the meantime, Turkmenistan team is getting ready for the main start of International Rally in autumn of this year.Amul Hazar 2018 competitions are also conceived as international ground for the dialog of cultures and nations as the sport is universal language of friendship opening new opportunities for the cooperation.
Entire world history confidently indicates that the peoples win when their states follow the course of understanding and cooperation.Such approach is visually observed in the policy of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which is based on the principles of good neighbourhood and high responsibility for the future of the humankind.
The country suggests specific projects required by the world community including in formation of new international transport routes road, railway, sea and air.Having proposed the idea of such big sport event, Turkmenistan again demonstrates its position of the peace-making and creative country.
Undoubtedly, Amul Hazar 2018 rally will be remembered for a long time by numerous guests and will be another input of the country in assertion of the role of sports as an ambassador of peace and friendship.
It was all mentioned in the speeches of the members of the conference, which included the representatives of sport organisations, MFA, MIA, sportsmen and coaches, teachers and students of the university of the capital, non-governmental organizations, mass media and many other.